Opposition Leader Hanged for War Crimes in Bangladesh

Bangladesh on Thursday executed an opposition leader convicted of war crimes hours after the Supreme Court rejected his last-minute appeal.

Bangladeshi officials confirmed that Abdul Qader Mollah was hanged to death at 10:01 p.m. local time.

A VOA reporter in the capital city Dhaka said there is heavy security in the city as the situation remains tense. According to The Associated Press, Mollah's party Jamaat-e-Islami has called for a nationwide general strike for Sunday.

Mollah was convicted of committing war crimes during the nation's war of independence against Pakistan in 1971. Critics fear his execution could begin a fresh wave of political violence before national elections set for next month.

Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami had issued a statement warning of "dire consequences" if he were executed.

The court turned down a request for a review of the death penalty by Mollah's legal team. He was set to be hanged late Tuesday before his lawyers secured a postponement.

New York based Human Rights Watch warned that by executing Mollah without reviewing the death sentence, Bangladesh could be breaking international law.

Jamaat-e-Islami sided with the Pakistan army during a bloody civil war that led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party says three million people died in the war. Independent researchers put the death toll between 300,000 to 500,000.